The world is full of 'What If's'
by Sami Lee
Summary: About to start their 6th year at hogwarts, Hermione dumps Harry for Ron. Heartbroken Harry finds comfort in all the wrong places. And his thoughts always tend to lead back to one thing - What if... H/D Slash. You've been warned, Rating may go up later.
1. Goodbye Hermione

Chapter 1--- Goodbye Hermione.  
  
After taking the barrier at a slight run, still not approving of the idea of traveling through solid brick, Draco looked up to find himself on the comfortingly familiar platform nine and three quarters. Before him stood a gleaming, scarlet steam engine - The Hogwarts Express.  
  
The last summer had been a particularly miserable one for Draco at Malfoy Manor, and as he walked toward the train he felt as though an extremely large hippogriff that had been sitting on his chest finally decided to give in and fly south. He took a deep breath, letting his chest rise and fall, feeling the content of the limited freedom he now had away from his dreaded, so-called-father.  
  
After loading his luggage onto the train, Draco made his way down the corridor, looking in to each compartment, and moving on as he found people in them. He wanted to be alone. He was simply in no mood to be civil to people, especially seeing as there were few people at Hogwarts that he actually liked, and even less, that he actually knew.  
  
After the train had been traveling for about half an hour, Draco looked up as he heard the compartment door open.  
  
It opened to reveal one of the strangest sights Draco had ever seen. For in front of him stood the one and only, invincible Harry Potter. And he was crying.  
  
"Oh, it's you." Harry said coldly, but Malfoy could hear the desperation in his voice. "Sorry, I'll just go."  
  
"Wait." Draco said quietly, and Harry stopped and turned to look back at him. "I. Why are you crying?"  
  
Harry studied Draco for a second, and then his eyes narrowed once more. "What do you care, Malfoy, you only care about two things, yourself and making me miserable."  
  
Reeling back and looking a little shocked, Draco did the last thing that Harry expected. He walked over to the open door behind Harry, pulled it shut, and took out his wand, locking the door magically. "So, sit down then." He spoke with little emotion, but Harry noted that the little emotion that was there was not cold.  
  
Not knowing what else to do, Harry sat. Wiping his eyes with the sleeve of his robe, he looked up at Draco, almost pleadingly, as if he were a prisoner about to be executed. Draco looked down at the boy, he was the same age, slightly younger, his hair was messy and sticking out in all odd directions, as usual, and his eyes, with a little help from the newly shedding tears, shone a vivid bright green behind his glasses. "So, Potter..." Draco paused, not really knowing what he wanted to say. He really didn't know why he'd shut the door and asked Harry to sit down. But he narrowed it down to curiosity. What on earth could make the unshakable Harry Potter cry? After all, he had everything. Fame, fortune, friends, a wonderful girlfriend. Draco stopped thinking at this point. Granger. Harry's only known weakness.  
  
//That has to be it// Thought Draco to himself, //It has to be Granger. //  
  
Draco sat down opposite Harry, and awkwardly, but gently, carefully voiced his thoughts. "It's Granger, isn't it?"  
  
Harry looked up at him, his tearful eyes filled with shock and wonder. "How. how did you hear so fast?"  
  
Draco, looking puzzled for a second, figured out what Harry was saying and looked slightly sympathetic. "I didn't hear anything, Potter, but I am well aware that the only thing that could reduce a man of your stature to tears is a woman."  
  
"Well, congratulations Malfoy, you figured it out, can I leave now?" Harry got up and moved towards the compartment door, not understanding why he had sat down in the first place, and with Malfoy of all people. All he'd wanted to do was be alone. Before he reached the door, something made him stop. He turned back to look at Malfoy. //Malfoy had been sitting alone too.// Harry thought, Draco opened his mouth to speak but Harry but in before he could say anything. "Why did you want me to stay?" He wiped his robe across his face again.  
  
"Because I wanted to know what could bring the invincible Harry Potter to his knees" Draco smirked, "But I guess I know the answer to that now. I just don't know how." He sat back in his chair and motioned for Harry to sit back down in the seat opposite.  
  
//Why shouldn't I tell him? // Harry thought to himself. //He wont give a rats arse and the rest of the school will know by the time we get off the train. //  
  
He looked up to find Draco looking at him, obviously waiting for an answer. //Fine, if he wants an answer I'll give him one. //  
  
And with that, Harry turned and sat back on the seat opposite Draco.  
  
"Fine, you want to know why I'm crying?" Harry spat in a very Malfoy-like tone.  
  
Draco showed a look of shared shock at the idea of Harry telling him, and revulsion at the sound of someone who is usually so cheery, sounding almost as cold and drawled as himself.  
  
"Yes." He stated simply.  
  
"Well, First I find out that Sirius is in danger of being caught and has to leave the country again, and then Hermione tells me that she's dumping me and can't tell me the reason why, but decides to leave the telling to Ron because he's the one doing it!! Yes, Malfoy, Hermione was cheating on me with Ron, all summer. Happy?" After such an outburst, Harry had to admit he felt better, but why on earth did he have to do it in front of Malfoy. Remembering the other boy in the compartment, Harry raised his head to find Draco staring at him, a look of almost sympathy in his pale blue eyes. Harry had never noticed the color of Draco's eyes before, and the shock of finding himself noticing such things about the handsome, platinum blond haired boy sitting opposite him was extremely worrisome, yet intriguing at the same time.  
  
//Snap out of it Harry! // He told himself mentally. //He's the enemy. // But for some weird reason, Harry couldn't move. He wanted to get up and walk straight out of the compartment, find Hermione and curl up in her arms, but she had told him she didn't love him anymore, that she wanted Ron. His eyes again fell to the floor. Then it happened.  
  
Before Harry knew what had hit him, Draco was kneeling before him on the floor and had cupped his face in his cool, firm hands. He drew Harry's face level to his own and stared determinedly into his eyes.  
  
And then he kissed him. 


	2. New Beginnings?

Chapter 2- New beginnings?  
  
When Draco broke the kiss, he looked into Harry's face for any kind of reaction, but Harry simply stared back, obviously in some state of shock. But as Draco watched him, intently waiting for something, anything, a slap, a scream. Harry smiled. Draco felt his heart stop trying to get out of his chest like an owl out of its cage.  
  
But then Harry did something that Draco had most defiantly not expected, something that Draco had not even contemplated. Harry, who had not unlocked his eyes with Draco's, placed his arms lightly around Draco's neck, and he kissed him.  
  
//Woo hoo.. // exclaimed Draco, his mind echoing with endless thoughts of euphoria. //But wait, he's just lost Granger, he doesn't mean this, don't get your hopes up, don't get carried away, after all, he's only Potter.//  
  
"Draco." Harry started, after a long slightly awkward silence.  
  
"Mmmm" Draco hummed lightly, not wanting to talk incase he said something stupid and ruined the whole thing. "Why did you.. What made you.. How come you just kissed me??" Harry sat there, staring at Draco with such a look of confusion, as Draco had never seen.  
  
"Well, that one's easy. " He waited, trying to read Harry's expression, wondering if he was ready to tell Harry the long awaited truth. "Because I love you, Harry Potter."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~  
  
Harry spent the rest of the trip with Draco, talking about their holidays and giving him a more detailed description of what had happened during his own. For some strange and unknown reason, right now he felt very comfortable talking to Draco. Maybe it was just his muddled state of mind, or that Draco had just told him that he loved him, but either way, Harry was quite content spilling his heart out to the blonde.  
  
The left the train together, laughing at a horrible muggle joke that Dudley had told Aunt Petunia during the holidays that Harry had badly recapped.  
  
"We can't be seen together in school." Harry stated, knowing that everything would have to go back to its almost normal, very miserable state.  
  
"Don't be so hasty.." The blue-eyed boy grinned mischievously. "I have an idea, follow me." The two boys jumped into a carriage and were taken up to the school.  
  
They sat at their separate tables for the yearly start of year feast and the sorting of the first year students. Harry sat away from Ron and Hermione, who could barely keep their hands of each other, trying to avoid the looks of almost everyone else in the hall. Once the ceremony and the feast were over, Harry started to make his way up to the Gryffindor common room alone.  
  
Just before he reached the first staircase, someone grabbed him and pulled him into a dark corner. It was, undoubtedly, Draco. He didn't say anything, but instead held a finger to his lips and motioned for Harry to follow him. Harry did so.  
  
After a few minutes, Harry realized where he was. They were heading towards Dumbledore's office. He followed Draco until they were at the foot of the stairs. Harry didn't say anything, but watched in amazement as Draco said the password and the gargoyle stood aside revealing the now very familiar staircase to Dumbledore's office. The walked up the stairs, not even acting as though they weren't supposed to be there. Harry had a very strange feeling about the whole situation. What if Dumbledore was in his office? What would they do if they were caught sneaking in? Or were they even sneaking in? Was this all part of Draco's plan?  
  
Before Harry could contemplate the matter any further, he realized he was standing in front of a very calm looking professor Dumbldore who was having a very calm looking conversation with one Draco Malfoy.  
  
"... I see. Very well Draco, if it's in Harry's best interest, you know where everything is." Dumbledore walked around his desk and sat down in the large seat behind it.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Wait a minute, what just happened??" Harry stood dumbfounded in the middle of the room while Malfoy walked over to a high shelf and took down an old ratty looking hat. Just then it dawned on Harry what Draco was doing, and it was brilliant. After all, the Sorting hat had wanted to put him in Slytherin in the first place.  
  
But Draco didn't know that, did he? Or was he just hoping that the hat would put Harry in Slytherin. Harry looked at Dumbledore who winked and nodded knowingly. Harry sat on the small stool Harry placed in front of him. Next thing he knew his eyes were covered by the much too big sorting hat Draco had placed on his head.  
  
"Well, well, if it isn't Harry Potter. Didn't think I'd get I'd get the chance to visit this mind again. Still a lot of potential. So what'll it be this time then? Hufflepuff?" The hat sounded almost mocking, Harry guessed it must still be mad at Harry's rejecting it's opinion in his first year.  
  
"No." He replied simply. "You were right, I want to be in Slytherin."  
  
The hat took a moment to respond. "Very well then. Slytherin it is.." And the it open the wide brim at it's base that it used for a mouth and said the last three words aloud for Dumbldore and Draco to hear.  
  
"Brilliant." Draco stated.  
  
"I'll have the elves take your trunk to your new Dormitory immediately Harry, In the meantime, you can show him the way, Mr. Malfoy. Draco nodded, thanked Dumbledore and led Harry back down the stairs.  
  
"That was brilliant!" Harry exclaimed. "How did you pull that off?!"  
  
Draco smirked and pulled out his collar for Harry to see. On it was pinned a small silver and green badge. "I am a prefect after all. And besides.. Dumbledore owed me." He gave Harry a mysterious half smile and then continued off toward the Slytherin Dormitories. 


End file.
